On the afternoon of Friday, November 10, the city of Gravataí witnessed the inauguration of the Maria da Penha Patrol Room. The interim mayor, Dr. Levi Melo, was present at the event, which took place at the headquarters of the 17th Military Police Battalion (17th BPM). The new space was created with the purpose of providing assistance to women who have suffered violence.
During the ceremony, Dr. Levi expressed his congratulations to all project participants and highlighted other government initiatives aimed at protecting women’s rights and safety. Among them, the recent inauguration of the new headquarters of the Reference Center for Victims of Sexual Violence (CRVVS), located next to the UPA at stop 74, and Casa Lilás.
Dr. Levi lamented the persistence of domestic violence against women, a problem that, unfortunately, still presents alarming numbers throughout Brazil. He emphasized that the Maria da Penha Patrol Room represents another resource available to facilitate the reporting of any form of violence against women, something that, according to him, “we do not tolerate and must combat”. In this context, the interim mayor highlighted another important action of the current administration: the creation of the Municipal Secretariat for Women and Human Rights, the project of which is in the preparation phase.
The Military Brigade (BM), which will turn 186 years old on November 18, was also mentioned. The commander of the CPM (Metropolitan Police Command), Colonel Márcio de Azevedo Gonçalves, highlighted the historic role of the BM in various prevention actions and highlighted that such actions are only possible thanks to the “work and dedication of the servers, who will welcome, listen the victim and provide the necessary referral.”
The commander of the 17th BPM, Colonel Clodemilton Silva Bueno, described the inauguration of the Room as “a remarkable day for the Battalion”, since its implementation was possible thanks to the collaboration between several bodies. Promoter Samyra Bernardi gave more details about this partnership and stated: “This should be our job: acting as a network. This rapprochement between entities that work against violence against women is fundamental.”
